Now picture a garden. It's small only 25-30 feet. Now picture a white rabbit. He is free roaming the property. I thought of getting a friend for him but I have planted 20 fruit trees and prefer the fruit trees over more rabbits. Anyways, the white rabbit plays with the wild cottontails but they don't like him. Something about being different I guess. He is bigger, different colored and I guess not the best friend type. Being bored not having any friends to play with, that rabbit teases the dog.  You know he comes up close, then the dog chases him and he run circles around the dog. After a few months the dog just gives it up as a useless exercise.

Most wild rabbits leave tomato plants alone and eat the sweet peas, then the beans, then lettuce. Anyways, this white rabbit decides he likes to eat the tomato plants. He is striping them down to the leaves and branches that hang in the row. Then next time he eats right up to the plant. Ok, it's time to put a stop to this and tell the lazy dog she has to keep the rabbit out of the garden. Come on, why am I paying her with good dog food if she is not going to protect garden and the property from creatures.

The other night I stepped out on the porch. There is the dog laying in the driveway in front of the garden and no kidding you, 5 feet away is the white rabbit eating my lettuce. I know the dog is trying to let the rabbit think he has won and will wait until he gets too close then nail him. Nope, the dog has given up any hope of catching this rabbit unless I shoot him first. I yell at the dog get him. The rabbit hauls ass. The dog runs the other way thinking I saw something behind her. I point to the spot the rabbit is sitting at in the tall grass. The dog is a rocket scientist and run sort of the right way. So, we are working on this go where I point. We covered every square inch of the lawn expect where the rabbit was. Finally, the dog comes back hits the trail and the rabbit is way out in front and stops about 50 yards away. The dog loses the trails and comes back looks at me like what, nothing was there you moron. Oh, you dumb mutt.

So, the rabbit is there in the open 50 yards away. I said, "Well, I will take Mr. ruger 10-22 and shoot a couple near him to teach him to stay away." Now, only to me could this happen. I shoot and hit the ground 3 inches to the right of the rabbit. The rabbit looks around. The dog is now thinking I am serious. She starts running around barking the wrong way looking for a wounded or dead animal. I point to the rabbit and the dogs takes off the wrong way. I shoot again. The rabbit stands up on his hind feet and looks around. The dog is barking. Ok, I shoot again. The rabbit sees the dog and sits down right in the open. I shoot again. The dog is barking and running all around but is not getting a fresh scent. The rabbit looks over at me stretches out and lays down for a nap. Now, I don't want to kill him until I am ready to eat him.

 I am looking at the rabbit thinking, I wonder if a weird ricochet happened and that is why the rabbit is laying down. Finally, Miss Rocket scientist (the dog) sees the rabbit and tears off after him. Seeing the rabbit laying down means one thing to her. That the rabbit is wounded or dead. I mean she is hauling a** for this rabbit. About 10 feet away the rabbit jumps up and hauls a** out of there quickly losing the dog. Now, to top it off the dog comes back and looks at me like hit him next time so I can catch him. Sometimes she is just too smart.

Just another day on the farm.

Bruce "Buckshot"